One Piece Theory: Scopper Gaban – Luffy’s last mentor in the shadows?

Luffy has defeated Kaido, he is a Yonko and has mastered Gear 5 – and yet it doesn’t feel like the end in One Piece. What if the next big chapter in his development is yet to come? My theory: Scopper Gaban – the forgotten man at Gol D. Roger’s side – becomes Luffy’s final mentor. A training that goes beyond anything we’ve seen before.

Who is Scopper Gaban?

Scopper Gaban was one of the highest-ranking members of the Roger Pirates – directly under Gol D. Roger himself. He fought with two axes, was calm, precise and deadly. Rayleigh was known as the pirate king’s right hand – but Gaban was his left. And while Rayleigh had long since moved into the role of mentor, Gaban disappeared from the world.

He did not appear at Roger’s execution, nor was he mentioned in the flashbacks to Laugh Tale. A character of this importance never disappears in One Piece without a reason. Oda hides him – perhaps to bring him back in the final act.

Why Luffy still needs training

Gear 5 is Luffy’s strongest form yet – but it’s not perfect. Imu, the Gorosei and Blackbeard’s dual devil powers are beyond anything Luffy has fought before. Even Gear 5 reaches its limits when it comes to control, strategy and combined Haki use.

The finale will not only require brute strength, but also awareness: the interplay of royal haki, observation haki and armor haki at the highest level. In short: Luffy needs someone to show him what it means to fight like Roger himself – with soul and mind.

Why Scopper Gaban of all things?

Rayleigh had already laid the groundwork for Luffy – but Gaban was the fighter who covered Roger in close combat. While Rayleigh was the technician, Gaban was the tactician in the field. His double axes, his calmness, his instinct: perfect tools to show Luffy the next step – the fusion of all Haki species.

If Gaban is still alive somewhere – perhaps on Elbaf, perhaps hidden under an old name – he could be the one to lead Luffy to the true “king level”. Not through new power, but through perfect awareness.

What we know – and what is pure theory

• Fact: Gaban was part of the Roger Pirates, fighting side by side with Roger and Rayleigh (manga chapters ~19, 957 & flashbacks).
• Fact: He was never officially shown again after Roger’s death – his whereabouts are unknown.
• Theory: Oda plans Gaban as a “hidden left hand” for the finale – a mentor who stayed in the shadows to prepare the next King of the Pirates.
• Theory: Luffy will undergo final training shortly before the final battle (against Imu or Blackbeard) – led by Gaban – to master the true multi-haki.

Why Oda Gaban stays hidden for so long

In over 25 years of One Piece, Oda has never left a character of this level unused without reason. Gaban appears only minimally in flashbacks, without death, without explanation – that cries out for “later revelation”. And especially in the current saga, where old legends return (Rayleigh, Shanks, Garp), his appearance would be a logical step.

It could be Luffy’s final touch – not as a power-up, but as a mind-turn. The training that really completes the King of the Pirates.

Until Oda lifts this final veil, it remains a theory – but one that fits perfectly into the structure of One Piece. Luffy’s last teacher is waiting somewhere – and his name is Scopper Gaban.

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